Which is the softest cable release?

[LabRat]

The Nikon (new stock) cloth covered cables have low resistance and have a good, easy to use locking ring to hold the shutter open... Medium length would have lower resistance than a long one... Maybe you can make a little sleeve that fits under the plunger (over the cable) that acts like a handle on the cable so the cable end is easier to hold...

Then there is getting an old solenoid from a Speed Graphic lensboard, and wiring it to a little battery pack, and making a little link to the shutter release to fire it electrically...

Someone (not so many) years ago sold an adapter for cable releases that allowed it to be depressed with one's teeth...

Steve K

[B.S.Kumar]

Thanks Steve K. I'll get one of the Nikon cables, and also send an email to Gebr. Schreck in Germany to see what they recommend.

Kumar

[mdarnton]

The softest cable release, and the one with shortest throw, is usually simply the shortest held the straightest--that's all simple physics. However, for years, when possible, I haven't used one at all, and that's worked fine if one has steady hands.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Someone (not so many) years ago sold an adapter for cable releases that allowed it to be depressed with one's teeth...

Yes, and it is simple to make one up from a clothes pin, too.

[Peter De Smidt]

The smoothest operating cable I have is a black-cloth-covered Nikon. Earlier, when I advocated the cloth covered releases, that doesn't mean that every one is good. But of all of my cables, maybe 15?, the best ones are highly flexible, cloth-covered, and with a disk lock.

As said earlier, though, the shutter sets the minimum forced needed for shutter actuation. Regular Copals need much less force than press shutters, where you're not only firing the shutter, you're re-cocking the shutter, all in one motion.

[Kevin Crisp]

I had a friend with this problem. He held the cable release in one hand, with his hand wrapped around it like a fist. This really takes very little finger effort. Push the other flat palm down on the plunger. Takes no finger strength at all.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I just unpacked a LF to do some work, and can add one of my favorite brands: Minette, 17", burgundy and black woven sheath, press-disc lock, maximum 15mm press depth. I have a small piece of masking tape on the plunger's shaft to limit depth.

[Peter De Smidt]

I just unpacked a LF to do some work, and can add one of my favorite brands: Minette, 17", burgundy and black woven sheath, press-disc lock, maximum 15mm press depth. I have a small piece of masking tape on the plunger's shaft to limit depth.

I like these as well. I have one for each of my field lenses. I originally bought them at Badger Graphic Sales, but the last time I looked they didn't have any.

[Tin Can]

I had a friend with this problem. He held the cable release in one hand, with his hand wrapped around it like a fist. This really takes very little finger effort. Push the other flat palm down on the plunger. Takes no finger strength at all.

I could not do that as my arthritis doesn't allow me to make a closed fist with either hand. Can't clap either.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I could not do that as my arthritis doesn't allow me to make a closed fist with either hand. Can't clap either.

Given how old many of us are we could have a thread on assist devices. The DIY mouth cable release is one. For focusing knobs a circumference wrench is very good. A generous man made me a 4x5 loading assist about 12 years ago; I would like to thank him again.